Ahlers will continue its investment strategy after positive results in 2001 /22 Mar 2002/

Ahlers forecasts a 14% increase of added value for the past financial year, closing on March 31st 2002. The expected gross-turnover amounts to 125 million Euro. For 2002 the maritime group expects a further growth due to the realisation of an important investment programme of 22 million Euro in logistic infrastructure in Flanders and the CIS.

To further optimalize the logistic services for companies in the Ghent (Belgium) industrial area, Ahlers bought a 46.000m2 industrial estate in Evergem at the begining of the year. Meanwhile a construction permit for a 25.000m2 warehouse has already been applied for. In the Ukraine the group recently signed an agreement in principle for the purchase of an existing warehouse of 10.000m2, within the scope of its services for an international nutrition company. Medio 2002 Ahlers wants to go ahead with the construction of a 20.000m2 warehouse in St Petersburg (Russia).

In the past 12 months Ahlers opened new offices in Minsk (Russia), Namangan (Oezbekistan) and Jakarta (Indonesia) and will shortly open new offices in Krasnodar an Nijni Novgorod (Russia). Likewise it has been decided to close the Lahore (Pakistan) and Paris (France) offices. The closure of the Pakistan office is the result of the unstable political situation. The closure of the Paris office, operating under the name of CP Trans, active in the handling of project cargo, is the result of the regression of cargovolumes in this sector as an aftereffect of September 11th and the introduction of the 35 hours working week. As from now on French customers will be served directly out of the Antwerp office.